Tag Archives: talk tv

Piers Morgan Addresses Claims Guest Was Briefed On What Not To Say On His ‘Uncensored’ Show

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Piers Morgan has dismissed claims that a guest on his supposedly “Uncensored” show was briefed by producers on what not to say on air.

Earlier this week, the divisive host was joined by comedian and political activist Kate Smurthwaite for a discussion about one of Piers’ favourite topics (yes, that would be the Duchess of Sussex).

However, after her segment on Piers Morgan Uncensored aired, Kate said that her appearance on the show wasn’t quite as uncensored as its name suggested.

She tweeted on Thursday night: “Today in #MyLifeIsWeird I’m sat in the green room for Piers Morgan UNCENSORED (the producer has just told me at least three things NOT to say on air LOL #ActuallyCensored) when the other guest arrives who will be on for the second half of the show. It’s JOAN COLLINS…”

Piers soon contested this version of events, tweeting back 45 minutes later: “I just checked and nobody tried to censor you – we don’t censor guests, that’s the point of the show.”

“Yes I was,” Kate then responded. “Great, have me on again and I’ll say all the things I was told not to say.”

In a follow-up column in The Mirror, Kate claimed: “The producer pencilled the slot into my diary last week and rang in the morning to let me know what topics would be discussed and ask what my views were. Standard procedure.

“After their morning meeting, I had a confirmation call too. They were looking forward to having me on. The only thing was… they’d like me not to mention a couple of the things I had said in our earlier conversation. A remarkable request for a show that is literally called ‘uncensored’.”

She continued: “They didn’t want me to get ‘too personal’ with Morgan. They didn’t want me criticising or seeking to explain his ‘vindictive obsession’ with [Meghan Markle].

“The main thing they didn’t want me to say was: ‘You know that no matter how many hours you spend slagging her off, she’s still not going to shag you?’. True. Funny. Insightful. What’s not to love?”

Kate Smurthwaite on stage
Kate Smurthwaite on stage

Andrew Aitchison via Getty Images

Referring to Piers’ tweet, Kate added: “If, as he has subsequently claimed on Twitter, there was no effort to censor me, his producers would not have warned me beforehand to not get ‘too personal’ with Piers when discussing the topic of Meghan.

“I’d like to discuss his childish obsession with Markle. And then whilst I’m about it his nasty attitude towards some other celebrities and the way that the right wing media will cry censorship when it suits them and participate in the exact same thing when it doesn’t. I’ve got plenty to say.”

HuffPost UK has contacted Talk TV for comment.

Piers at the TRIC Awards last year
Piers at the TRIC Awards last year

Mike Marsland via Getty Images

Piers Morgan Uncensored debuted last month with a much-publicised interview with former US president Donald Trump.

In the weeks since its launch, reports have claimed that viewing figures for Piers’ show have taken a nosedive, with other programmes on Talk TV reportedly recording no audience at all at some points.

Amid reports of struggling ratings at Talk TV, Piers previously tweeted: “Linear TV [is] increasingly irrelevant [compared] to total eyeball potential for a global show like this, especially with younger viewers who don’t really watch TV any more.”

However, this somewhat contradicts what he repeatedly used to say during his tenure on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, when he would often goad BBC rival Dan Walker over their respective viewing figures.

Piers Morgan Uncensored certainly lived up to its name last month, when one interviewee dropped the C-bomb live on air while referring to the divisive host.

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Jeremy Kyle’s Manager Addresses Claims Talk TV ‘Dropped’ Pilot For His New Show

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Jeremy Kyle’s manager has dismissed claims that Talk TV has “dropped” a pilot for a new show to be fronted by the presenter.

Over the weekend, The Mirror reported that Jeremy had recently filmed a pilot with the upcoming station, in which he and a panel of guests dissected the day’s headlines.

The tabloid claimed that Talk TV had decided not to move forward with this project, after some contributors allegedly expressed discomfort with sharing the screen with the divisive host, whose ITV daytime show was axed in 2019 following the death of a guest.

However, this has been denied by Jeremy’s manager, who told HuffPost UK these claims were “not true” and that the presenter was “full steam ahead with filming”.

Talk TV declined to comment, although a source close to the station said Jeremy would ”definitely be a strong part of the line-up” then the broadcaster launches later in the year.

They added: “We have been piloting lots of shows and formats for TalkTV – as is entirely normal when developing a new channel. Jeremy has been involved in several.

“Per the Mirror story’s suggestion that guest feedback led to a particular pilot being paused – the reality is that guests on shows are welcome and respected but they have absolutely no say on production decisions.”

A second source added that Jeremy had actually filmed multiple pilots with Talk TV “to see what works and what doesn’t”.

“It’s not the case of Jeremy losing a show at all,” they insisted. “This is very much what happens when a station is in its infancy, you try a lot of different stuff out.”

Jeremy Kyle on the set of his former ITV show
Jeremy Kyle on the set of his former ITV show

ITV/Shutterstock

Talk TV has so far confirmed two of its original shows, which will be fronted by Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne.

Last week, The Jeremy Kyle Show was the subject of a two-part Channel 4 documentary called Death On Daytime, which examined the culture surrounding the former daytime show and the suicide of 2019 guest Steve Dymond.

The doc featured interviews with former members of the production team, re-enacted by actors, some of whom claimed that vulnerable guests were deliberately goaded or manipulated by the crew to make for more salacious viewing when they went on stage.

Earlier this week, Jeremy began his show on talkRADIO – the sister channel of Talk TV – by addressing what he referred to as the “elephant in the room”.

“[I’ve had] a couple of texts already talking about a certain programme that was on television last night,” he told listeners. “Yes, I am fully aware.”

He continued: “I will say only this, my friends, to you. I have maintained a consistent approach over the last three years. I have said that I will not comment on the tragic death of Steve Dymond until the legal process is finished, and that is a position that I will maintain.

“When, and trust me there will be a time after the inquest, when it is proper for me to have my say, because there are two sides to every story. I will do it here, and I will do it to you, and that is the most important thing.”

In response to allegations made in Channel 4’s documentary, an ITV rep dismissed claims of a “bad culture” on The Jeremy Kyle Show, insisting: “ITV would never condone any of its production staff misleading or lying to guests.”

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